8 of the craziest homes of 2018

From bubble houses and shipping container conversions to underground homes and clifftop retreats, we’ve seen some pretty wild homes in Lifestyle land this year.

More than anything, these eight homes prove that, if you can dream it, you can make it.

Join us on a trip down memory lane, as we rediscover our craziest homes of 2018.

1. Ipswich Bubble House

When you think of a house, the first shapes that come to mind are squares, rectangles and triangles. That is, unless you live in a bubble house – just like this family in Ipswich.

Designed by architect Graham Birchall during his final year thesis in 1983, the home is an ode to the strength, beauty and simplicity of the humble circle.

The Ipswich bubble house. Picture: Good Cop Bad Cop

In thrall to the adaptability of circles, Graham built the concrete home after work and on weekends. Incredibly, he did so without the assistance of modern computer software to undertake the incredibly complex calculations required for the design.

The structure is made from 11 intersecting circular domes that range in size from 4m to 8m in diameter.

2. The underground home in Coober Pedy

While green roofs are becoming a common way to take advantage of the temperature-stabilising qualities of plants and the earth, underground homes are less common. Unless, of course, you visit the remote town of Coober Pedy, where underground living is embraced.

The front of the Coober Pedy dugout house. Picture: Good Cop Bad Cop

The underground spaces or “dugouts” are a perfect way for the residents to escape the sweltering days and freezing nights of the central Australian desert.

Irene Spillmann and Michael Farkas have been living in underground houses in South Australia’s Coober Pedy for well over 20 years, and say that their current home stays a constant 22°C despite the extreme desert temperatures outside.

6. The remote ‘steel tent’ perfect for getting away

A reader favourite was this shipping container home featured in our hero series A Place Less Ordinary.

Created by a passionate mountain-bike rider in a bushfire-prone area, this place is the ideal home for those who want a truly off-grid weekender.

“We decided we wanted to build the house entirely out of steel and non-flammable materials. This way you can close up the box so it’s fire-proof,” says owner Niel Soderlund.

“Containers, which we decided to build the house out of, are also relatively cheap and modular to work with.”

Opening the sides reveals a central living area and lots of windows. Picture: Good Cop Bad Cop

Built on the edge of a sandstone cliff that boasts a great view over the side of a valley, the spot has a 250m difference in elevation so it proved a tricky project for a few reasons.

“When we were building there was no power on the site so we couldn’t build there that easily,” Neil says.

“We fitted out three containers in Sydney and assembled them with some other pieces of steel, sliding doors and roofing to support the containers on site.”

7. Mirrored desert house

Wooden cladding is so yesterday. If you want your home to really stand out (by blending in stylishly), then mirrored panels may be the new way to go.

Mirage, an art installation by Doug Aitken, stands alone in the desert of Southern California. It embraces the form of a ranch-style suburban home with its predictable silhouette and pointed roof, yet it is anything but basic.

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